Process and apparatus for continuously cracking oils



W. B. PRiCE AND E. DIETZ. PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CONTlNUOUSLY CRACKING OILS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6. 1916.

1,349,294. PatentedAug. 10,1920.

3 SHEETS-{SHEET I.

I I 7 e J I 8 1P Z6\ 9 I x 1 22 gs J s- 11' I a a v MM bum W. '8 PRICE AND E. DIETZ. PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY CRACKING OILS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, I9l6.

1920. 3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Patented Aug. 10

W. B. PRICE AND E. DIETZ.- PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY CRACKING OILS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY s. 1916.

1, 3% 2294, Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...-

WALT'ER I B. PRICE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, AND ERNEST DIET Z; OI NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY CRACKING OILS.

Application filed July 6,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WALTER B; PRICE and ERNEST Din'rz, citizens of the United States, residing at Los Angeles and New able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to processes of cracking oils continuously under such conditions that we obtain a continuous supply of lighter hydrocarbons of substantially uniform quality, and under conditions such that We are able to convert a very large percentage of heavy hydrocarbon oils into lighter oils. Our invention also includes the apparatus. 1

' Our invention is particularly directedto the conversion of heavy distillates, particularly those from southern and western oils, into gasolene.

In carrying out 'ourprocess in the apparatus which we show herewith, we carry into said apparatus a stream of oil of the character indicated, and we subject the oil of this stream to heat and pressure in a series of cracking retorts, the heat and pressure being, constant for each retort but gradually increasing in the series. We takepff at each station in the series, that is, at each retort, a percentage of gasolene, the pressure and temperature being set at each retort to effect the conversion in that retort, of as largea percentage as is practicable under the conditions imposed by the factors which govern such conversionv at this stage. We move the residuum, that 1s, that portion which is not converted, from each stage to the next by means of a pump, since this movement has always to be against pressure.

Another factor to be considered, and which is important in the present connection, is the element of time. Infact, given material of constant quality, the chief fac- Specification of Letters Fatent.

1916. serial No. 107,845.

tors are pressure, temperature, and time in determining the character and quantity of the product. By time is meant the period during which any part of the heavier oil is exposed to the effect of a given temperature under a given pressure. This factor is controlled by the extent of heated surface with which the oil is brought into contact and also by the rapidity of the flow.

e may carry our process through successlve stages until but a very small percentage of the original oil is left. As the process proceeds through these different stages, the

'hot residuum becomes more and more dif-' ficult and refractory, until it reaches a con-- dition at which economic conversion cannot be effected. We may use up in our process, however, more than eighty per cent. of a hydrocarbon'of the character referred to. The final residuum may be used for fuel, or road Inaking,-or be thrown away. The residuum is always hot when removed. I

It is to be observed that the product at each stage is substantially uniform with the product of the other stages; That is, while the passing oil changes in character as it goes through the different stages, we achieve uniformity in result by modifying, as may be necessary, the three factors before mentioned, to bring about such uniformity.

Another feature of our invention, is the provision of means by which the gases produced by the conversion are purified or freed from their sulfur, by being brought into contact while they are still ases, with suitable metallic oxids of sufficient extent of Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

surface, whereby the sulfur, in reducing the process which, with the apparatus, constitutes the subject of our invention, to reduce the danger of fire from explosion, to a very large extent, because the material which we treat is, for the most part kept in a VZLPOIOLS condition, and the quantity of liquid present in our apparatus, as such is comparatively small.

The foregoing constitutes certain objects of our invention. Others will be developed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents insection the furnace which we employ; a I

Fig.- 1*? is a continuation of said view, showing certain pumps and Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic showing, on a reduced scale, of several reduction units and pumps alternately in series.

In the drawing, 1 is a brick furnace provided with a refractory lining. In this furnace are provided the combustion chamber 2, the preheating chamber 3, and the main or reduction chamber 4. The stack or fine connections are shown at 5. The passages shown at 6, connect the combustion chamber to the preheating chamber 3 and the main chamber. 4. The furnace gases pass from the furnace 2 partly into the preheating chamher and partly into the main or reduction chamber 4, and thence pass out through an opening,not shown, in this section, to the fine and stack.

\Ve arrange in one of the walls of the furnace, at some desirable point, and preferably either in the preheating chamber or the main chamber, a thermostat 7, arranged to control through the pipe 8 a feed regulating device 8, in any suitable manner.

We have shown our furnace heated by oil.

' The oil is conducted through the pipe 9 by means of steam through pipe 10, and the flow of oil and steam are controlled by any suitable device 8, not shown in detail, in response to the thermostat 7, so that the temperature of the preheating chamber, and

consequently of the furnace, is kept substantially constant by regulation of the fuel supply.

From a suitable source, and by means to be referred to later, through the pipe 11, we lead a supply of oil to be treated. The pipe 11 enters the preheating chamber at 12, and passes in a coil. through said chamber and out through pipe 13 into the retort 14. Our retort 14 we make of the shape shown in Fig. 1, and make the walls of said retort inclined toward the bottom.

The fluid entering through pipe 13 is conducted behind a baflie plate 15, whence it is distributed about the retort and permitted to trickle over the edge of said bafiie plate down the sides 16 of the retort. As the oil trickles down these sides, it 'is subjected -to the catalytic action of the steel walls of the retort, and at the temperature maintained in this mainfurnace, and under the pressure determined by a pressure valve, it becomes converted into lighter hydrocarbons.

Thesemore volatile constituents become duce this effect.

vaporized at the temperature and under the pressure, maintained just sufficient to pro For the escape of these vapors we provide the tube 17, extending from the central or lower portion of the retort up through the removable roof 18 of the furnace.

, containis caught and fixed by the substance on the trays; if the latter be metallic oxids, corresponding sulfids are, of course, formed.

The lower part of the retort is continued in apipe 23, which may be provided with a shut-off valve 24. The bottom of this pipe or tube is closed by a suitable cap 25, which may be removed if the pipe or retort becomes clogged, for cleansing purposes.

From this tube we lead an- .other tube 19, and in said tube 1 9 we arrange a fluid pressure valve 20, which we set The top 26, of our retort, is also removable,

together with the tube 17 carried thereby, for cleansing and re-charging trays 22,. the top 18 being removed. We may also provide the tube 17' with a separable top .27, if desired.

The residuum from the treatment fills the lower part of the retort over the mouth of the tube 28. From the tube 28 said residuum may be passed by a suitable pump to the second furnace and retort of the series.

For getting the material into and through the first retort of this series, we preferably employ a pump of the construction shown at 29 in Fig. 1.- This pump consists of two cylinders so arranged, as indicated in Fig. 1*, that when the piston of one is up, the piston of the other is down; thus, in the position shown in said figure, the valve on the inlet side of the plunger 30 has just been closed, and said plunger is just beginning its descent to force oil through the branch 31. The valve on the discharge side, 32, of the pump has just been closed, and the valve on the inlet side has just been opened to permit the entrance of a fresh supply of oil on that side. Through the pipe 11, the plunger on the left is beginning to force oil, while oil is entering the other cylinder of this pump 29 through a branch 33. of the oil intake pipe 34.

Since the current of oil is moved forward against pressure which rises step by step.

to the pump 29 after every retort, therefore.

though it may be'omitted after the .final pipes 40 controlled by the valves 41, 42.

e preferably arrange these pumps all in line and control their operation by a single shaft 43, driven by any suitable source of power. Said shaft 43 is provided at suitable stations with gear wheels 44. Each of these gear wheels meshes with a wheel 45 mounted on the frame of the pump and car rying the cranks which work the pumps, as shown in Fig. 2. v

It will be observed from Fig. 2, that when one piston 46, of any given pump, is near one end .of-its stroke, the piston in cylinder 47' of the same pump is near the other end of its stroke. It will be seen that the oil entering through the pipe 37 is passing into the cylinder 47, while oil passing from the cylinder 46 goes throughthe open valve 48 to the pipe 37 and thence on to the next unit of the series. Of course, pumps of any preferred form may be used.- We'have in dicated pumps of simple construction. and easily operated.

It will thus be seen that wehave provided an apparatus whereby a current of oil undergoing treatment, is constantly and uniformly moved through a series of cracking devices or converters, a portion of said oil being removed at each stage, or in each converter.

It will be seen that we provide means whereby pressure and temperature at each stage may be adjusted to meet the character of the oil which comes from the preceding stage, said oil having lost a portion of its constituents at the preceding stage or in the preceding retort. It is merely necessary to adjust the thermostatic control for each furnace to suit the condition at that furnace, at the same time adjusting the pressure gage to meet like conditions.

Similarly, the feed of the pump must be reduced along the line, since the quantity to be pumped from each stage station diminishes at such station. Thus, if at our first retort, we crack and vaporize, say, twentylowing example.

results operating on a gas oil distillate hav-.

ing a gravityof from 40 to 42 B. by a five per cent of our initial inflow, the pump between the first and second retorts should fore the first retort. .Similar adjustment must be provided for at other stages.

As a specific illustration we give the fol- We have obtained best temperature offrom 1000 F. to 11509 F. at

This residuum comes in apparatus.

conditions unattainable in other forms of through is subjected to a succession of con Each particle of oil passing ditions exactly like those imposed upon great variety.

' Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. The process of converting heavy hydrocarbon oils into oils of lower boiling point, which consists in subjecting a stream of such heavier oils to a succession of conditions in that successive portions of the same material are subjected simultaneously to progressively higher temperatures and. pressures in a step by step way, to produce a uniform product, and removing the lighter hydrocarbons constantly as theyrare formed.

2. The process of forming from heavy hydrocarbon oils, purified lighter oils, which consists ,in subjecting a stream of such heavier oils to a succession of conditions in that successive portions of the same materialv v are subjected simultaneously to progressively higher temperatures and pressures in a step by step way, each set of said condiof substantially identical lighter hydrocarbons, constantly 'removin said vapors as formed, subjecting them uring removal to the effect of purifying agents, and. condens- 111g.

1 3. The process of forming from heavy hydrocarbon oils, purified lighter oils, which consists in subjecting a stream of such heavier oils to a succession of conditions in that successive portions of the same ma-' terial are subjected simultaneously to progressively higher temperatures and pres sures in a step by step way, each set ofsaid -tions adapted to effect productionof vapor I conditions adapted to effect production 0t vapor of substantially identical lighter hydrocarbons, constantly removing said vapors as formed, subjecting them during removal to the effect of metallic oxid's, and condensi. The process of cracking heavy hydrocarbon oils, which consists in cracking a stream of said oils under a succession of conditions in that successive portions of the same material are subjected simultaneously to progressively higher temperatures and pressures in a step by step way, and releasing under regulated pressure light hydrocarbon vapors as fast as they are formed, under said rising conditions, whereby but a small amount of vapor is at any time present in the apparatus and danger is greatly reduced.

5. In a device for converting heavy oils into lighter oils, a retort, said retort having a converging bottom and a continuous deflector plate, means for introducing oil behind said deflector plate and permitting it to distribute itself as a liquid over the converging bottom, a pipe and pressure valve permitting the vapors of said lighter oils, as

formed, to escape under constant pressure,

a pump for conducting oil in constant stream into the retort, and a pump for constantly taking away residuum into a second cracking retort kept at higher temperature and pressure. a

6. A series of cracking retorts, having sides made of catalytic material, a series of WALTER B. PRICE. ERNEST DIE'IIZ. 

